


The Merchant of Dreams

by Jenetic777



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Dream Merchant, Dreams and Nightmares, M/M, dream eater au, eventual billdip
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-19
Updated: 2016-10-07
Packaged: 2018-07-25 09:31:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7527475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jenetic777/pseuds/Jenetic777
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dipper Pines has been having nightmares that have been getting steadily worse recently. He's overheard rumors of a shop in the Spirit District that will buy and sell dreams and nightmares for the right price. He finally finds himself desperate enough to try and find out if the rumor is true.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fic for the absolutely amazing concept of the Dream Eater AU come up with by the wonderful and talented artist Extrics from Tumblr, (used with permission of course.) I hope to be able to do it justice!

Dipper Pines shuffled down the street exhausted and honestly feeling a little bit silly. If he wasn't tired past the point of potential embarrassment he wouldn't even be here right now. He could only read about a third of the signs around him, the others seemed to be in languages long dead or unpronounceable by human mouths. Luckily he had been given a description of the shop he was looking for; it was unmarked except for a golden triangle with a strange design in it over the door. He took a deep breath as he pushed the door open, and walked in. 

He was instantly hit with the scent of smoke, harsh and heavily spiced but a little bit sweet. He looked around himself, seeing jars lining the walls. Some were beautiful, bright and shining colors undulating slightly; rippling inside their containers. Others were dull or dark, these moved in a stuttering manner, disconcerting in their movements. Those were unnerving even to his sleep-deprived brain and he wanted to stay far away from them. But the bright ones were beautiful, almost mesmerizing. He found his eyes drawn to them and began to zone out.

"Don't stare too long, they might pull you in and you certainly don't want that." He heard a voice coming from off to the side and started before he turned to see the speaker. It was a blonde man, tall and slim, standing behind the counter with a hookah pipe in his hand. 'That must be where the scent is coming from,' the young man's brain processed slowly. He made his way over to the man slowly and mumbled, cheeks slightly flushed with embarrassment. "I was told this was the place to go to… s-sell my nightmares," he choked out, trying not to regret having come here in the first place.

The man behind the counter gave him a smirk, showing slightly pointed teeth. "You've definitely come to the right place. So, what were you looking to get for them?" 

Dipper shook his head, torn between hope and the sheer impossibility of the situation. "I don't even care, I just want to be rid of them." He was more than a little incredulous that any of this could actually work, but he was out of options. And if it did, then it wouldn't matter what he got in return. Being rid of the memories of those nightmares would be payment enough.

The blonde man gave a chuckle. "Well, I can't just take something for nothing, that's not how this sort of thing works. So, how 'bout I take a look at these nightmares of yours and try to determine fair compensation?" 

Dipper snorted through his nose, still very skeptical. "Yeah, sure, go ahead and look at my dreams. So, how are we doing this, do you just delve in and read my mind or something?"

The shopkeeper grinned wider, teeth sharp and eyes full of mirth. "It isn't quite that simple kid." He took a drag from the hookah that he was holding the stem of. "What I'll have you do is take in some of this smoke. Think of the nightmares you are speaking of, and they will coalesce inside the smoke. When you breathe it out I'll be able to see them. That work for you?" 

Dipper sighed and gave a defeated chuckle. "Yeah, sure. I'm willing to try anything at this point." The brunette held out a hand and took the pipe stem the shopkeeper offered. He took a long slow drag, and held in the smoke for as long as he could, doing his best to not cough it out. Unfortunately, he did not quite succeed. He held out for a bit, but coughed and sputtered as he let out the last of it. 

The smoke was spicy and sweet, and it made his head feel even more light and fuzzy. He breathed it out all at once, and the shop owner watched as it collected in a cloud. The blonde man's eyes widened slightly, and the look he gave was... /hungry/ was the best description for it. Dipper didn't notice, he was still feeling off from the fumes and the smoke. The shopkeeper smirked as he caught the patron's eyes. "Well well well, color me intrigued kid. I think I have a fair price for you." 

He crouched down behind the counter, taking out a small container. He opened it up and showed the contents to Dipper, it held five pieces of what looked like candy. "A few nights worth of good dreams. They're not the same as the ones you make for yourself, but they're a decent substitute for the short term." He started to hand them off but then dragged it back slightly as the young man reached for it. "But! You have to promise me, the next time you have a significant dream on your own, good or bad, you come and sell it to me. I'm curious what else you might have in you."

Dipper nodded as he reached for the container again. "Yeah, sure, fine. If this works then I'll do that happily. So, who do I have to thank for this opportunity?" 

The blonde grinned and gave a small bow. "The name's Bill Cipher. And who might you be?" The brunette eyed the shopkeeper warily as he bowed back. "Nice to meet you, Pines is my name, Dipper Pines." Bill nodded. "Well, can't wait to see you again Pine Tree!"

Dipper shook his head at the odd man, the dream merchant, before he headed out the door. The night was still young and he wanted to find his way home quick to try out those dream drops. He hurried out of the spirit district, starting to feel a little more alert in the fresh air and more nervous because of it. The inhabitants were strange, some beautiful, some grotesque, and most of them probably dangerous. The shopkeeper had been the most humanoid being he’d seen since he’d entered on fact. Luckily the shop was close to the entrance which thankfully meant a swift exit. He ran the rest of the way back to where he was staying with his Grunkles and twin sister, breathing hard as he closed the door behind himself. 

He walked into his still empty room and took one of the things that looked like candy out of the small box. It was small and golden, shaped like a triangle with a small eye in the center of it. For a moment he hesitated, remember the proverb he’d heard about the potential for even medicine to be poison. But he took a deep breath and pushed the thought away. “He said he’s looking forward to me coming back. He wouldn't say that if this would do something bad to me,” he spoke out loud, attempting to reassure himself. 

He popped the drop into his mouth, and it tasted artificially sweet with a bit of a strange spice mixed into it, sort of but not entirely like the smoke. It dissolved rather quickly, and the Pines man felt a wave of exhaustion washing over him. He rushed to change his clothes and climb into bed, the covers were barely over him before he fell into a peaceful sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dream drops run out and Dipper and Mabel have a conversation.

The dream drops and the bland but pleasant dreams that they gave only lasted Dipper for three days. He had hoped that with the break they had given his subconscious it might be more forgiving when his supply ran out; unfortunately he had no such luck. The nightmares came back strong as ever and he woke up in a cold sweat and whimpering in terror.

‘Well,’ he thought to himself, ‘I guess that just goes to show that this dream merchant guy is the real deal.’ His entire trip to the Spirit District was still a bit of a blur; he had been so out of it when he went there. His time there almost felt like a dream of its own. But he knew in his heart that the place was real and that he needed to go back. The trip was worth the potential danger because it could once again rid him of the nightmares that plagued him.

The young man was on edge the whole day; twitchy and nervous. His twin sister Mabel prodded at him a few times trying to get him to calm down or cheer up. “Come on Dip Dop, you were fine the last few days! Did everything really implode again that quick?” The look in his eyes as she caught his gaze said it all. Any hint of teasing left the woman's voice immediately. “Aw Dip, I’m sorry. I know you were really happy about finding a solution and I feel bad it didn't end up working long term.”

Dipper shook his head and gave his twin a small smile. “It’s okay, maybe that isn't the only possible fix for it. I’ll just have to go back and talk to the guy again. He seemed like he was pretty willing to help last time, maybe he’ll have something else in mind that could work for me.”

Mabel nodded as she gave her brother a curious look. “Yeah, you mentioned you met someone who gave you something to help but you were really vague about the whole thing. What's the deal bro-bro, who is this guy and how the heck is he doing this?”

Dipper gave a long sigh as he debated exactly what to tell his sister about his encounter in the Spirit District. He nodded to himself as he came to a decision and spoke to her quietly. “Okay, but you have to promise not to tell Stan and Ford anything, at least not yet. You know how much they worry.” He hadn't even told them how bad his nightmares were getting again, and luckily they hadn't noticed on their own just yet.

Mabel smiled brightly back at her twin. “I gotcha, no sweat. You know my lips are sealed!” The woman made a gesture imitating a key locking something up in front of her mouth, making her brother chuckle softly. Even on the rough days he could always trust her sunny disposition to brighten up his spirits.

The pair made their way up the stairs to Dipper's room and sat together on his bed. The male twin took a deep steadying breath and began the story. “So, you know how bad my nightmares are sometimes, right? Well, they've managed to be even worse than usual lately. I’ve barely been sleeping and I’m seeing flashes of them when I’m awake too. Then I heard this rumor when I was in the city doing an errand for Grunkle Stan. About a shop that only appears after dark in an abandoned alley in the city. A shop that buys and sells dreams and nightmares.”

Mabel couldn’t help herself, she let out a small giggle interrupting her brother’s story. “Come on Dip, that sounds like crazy talk! You actually bought that? Even Stan wouldn't try and pull a con that crazy.” But her amusement was cut short when she took a look at Dipper’s face. “Woah, this guy really has you convinced. He must be good, it isn't easy to pull the wool over the eyes of a Pines.”

Dipper gave a long slow nod. “Yeah. I think he might actually be the real deal here. I mean, I asked him to take away that nightmare I had four nights ago that woke me up in a panic, and today I can't remember it at all! Plus he gave me these little things that looked like candy and said they'd give me good dreams. I didn't have any nightmares at all when I took them! I know it sounds nuts, but it really worked.” He shook his head as he continued to process. “Seems like there really is something to these shops in the Spirit District.”

Mabel once again sputtered out a laugh. “Dip Dop, didn't anyone ever teach you not to take candy from strangers?” The young man huffed in annoyance and threw a pillow at his sister. “Hey, I’m being serious here! Why the heck would you trust this guy you literally just met and eat stuff you got from someone in the so called Spirit District? Sorry bro bro, that just sounds like a whole lot of looking for trouble if you ask me.” She put a hand on her brother’s shoulder. “Sorry, sorry. I just… you know I worry about you Dipper. I know your nightmares are bad, but that was a big risk. I just want you to be careful. You're supposed to be the smart twin, remember?” she joked with a grin.

Dipper gave a long sigh at his sister’s reaction. “I know Mabes, I know. It wasn't really my smartest decision ever, but I had to do something. I didn't want to worry you guys, but the nightmares were getting pretty unbearable. And as soon as I heard that there might be a solution I just kind of jumped on it. Luckily this time it worked out for the best.” He placed his hand over the one Mabel had left on his shoulder. “I promise I'll be more careful in the future, but have a little faith in me alright, I’m clever enough to handle myself and we both know that,” he said with a smirk on his face.

The girl tossed the pillow back at Dipper, smacking him square in the chest. She grinned back at her brother and said, “don't get cocky Dippingsauce, just because things worked out this time doesn't mean they’ll always go your way. And as the alpha twin I could never forgive myself if something happened to my little brother.” She chuckled to herself as she ruffled her twin's hair playfully and the young man huffed in annoyance. 

“Mabel, you're like an inch taller than me, if that. And only five minutes older than me too. That barely even counts!” He gave a long-suffering sigh and shook his head. But as annoyed as he was at her he was also truly grateful that he had a sibling who was so genuinely concerned with his well-being. The annoyance melted from his face and he started to laugh along with his sister. He turned to the girl and gave her a quick hug, the two exchanging a pat on the back as they did so. Mabel headed to her own room to go get some sleep; Dipper on the other hand waited up for everyone in the household to fall asleep then once again departed for the Spirit District.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, the chapter just was not flowing right when I started it the first time or so. I hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> Also, a shoutout to the lovely, talented, and amazingly sweet BurnerAccount for looking this over for me, I appreciate it more than I can say.

The path to the Spirit District was easier to find the second time around, almost unnervingly so. The first trip Dipper took there it almost felt like the universe was fighting him, trying to steer him away from the place. The roads had been hard to navigate, confusing, just generally difficult. But tonight he was having none of those problems. 

The way was familiar and the streets seemed almost inviting. It felt sort of like he was being lead, lured back. The young man shook off the sensation. ‘That's absurd. I’ve been there before, that's why it’s easier now,’ he thought to himself. But no matter the circumstances, he reached the district quickly and made a beeline for the same shop from last time.

As he stepped through the door he was once again struck by the aroma of the smoke that seemed to fill the entire room. It had that same scent of sweetness and spices, but this time it was relaxing without the same feeling of fogging his brain like before. A small grin spread over the brunette's face as he took the place in once more in a clearer mental state. 

The jars on the walls were still there, though some may have been moved around, removed, or added. A light haze hung in the air, lending an almost dreamlike aura to the place. He turned and looked around, able to more fully appreciate his surroundings this time. That is, until he heard the unmistakable sound of someone clearing their throat from somewhere behind him.

He turned around to look once more at the front counter of the shop, which moments before he could have sworn had been empty. However, behind it now stood the blonde merchant, a grin stretched across his face somewhere between mirthful and mocking. Dipper blinked as he looked at the man, incredibly confused. To add to the strangeness of the moment, his hair seemed significantly longer than should be possible after only four days. It was pulled back in a small clip and hanging down to around chin length in the back. 

The robes he wore today looked like a negative image of the ones from last time. Black where the others were gold and vice versa, with blue flowers instead of the red. Amber eyes shut as he took a drag off the hookah and opened slowly as he let out the smoke. It came in a pair of lazy plumes from his nostrils, making him look like some kind of mythical dragon-kin. The human couldn't help but find himself transfixed by the sight.

“Welcome back kid, I wasn’t expecting you so soon. What brings you in tonight?” The shopkeeper spoke up with a grin, breaking the trance-like state of staring the young man had fallen into. The blonde looked inordinately pleased with himself as he watched the flustered brunette try to compose himself.

Dipper dropped his gaze, not wanting to meet the other man’s eyes at the moment. “The drops, they worked when I took them, but when I ran out the nightmares came back; just as bad, maybe even worse. I need to fix this, p-please help me.” He mostly held himself together, aside from the small quiver in his voice.

Bill looked Dipper dead in the eyes, his expression uncharacteristically serious. “Well, the dream drops are only meant to be a temporary fix, they won't solve the underlying issue here. And in order to get a better idea of what might help to improve them I’m going to have to get a more… direct view of them.” There was an obvious insinuation in his tone of voice, but the young man wasn't sure what it was implying.

He blinked quizzically at the shopkeeper as he considered the man’s words. Confusion was evident in his voice as he responded. “And how exactly would you plan to do that?”

The merchant gave him a sharp grin, eyes alight with mischief. “Well, the way I normally see your dreams is by looking at them through the smoke. But something always gets lost in translation; there's a measure of distance that distorts the images. So, in order to get the clearest possible picture of them I would need to take the smoke directly from the source.”

Dipper’s eyes grew wide, his expression revealing him to be mere moments from panic. “D-directly from the source… y-you're saying that… you want me to breathe the smoke into you… directly?!” His mind was suddenly filled with the image of himself and Bill, bodies pressed close, mouths nearly touching, a small trail of smoke coming from his barely parted lips… He felt his cheeks flush faintly and swallowed hard as he tried to push away that particular train of thought. “No, no, nooooo way, that's crazy!”

The merchant shrugged nonchalantly at the reaction from the young man. “I don’t know what else to tell you, that really is the most effective method. The way I normally view dreams is like through a curved mirror, a distorted reflection. But if I take them from the source the image is as clear as if I dreamed it myself. It can help me spot patterns, recurring issues, give me an idea how we could try and fix this.”

The brunette man shook his head quickly. “Nope, that's not happening. It’s just not. Just… give me another couple of those dream drops again. It’ll tide me over til the problem fixes itself. Nightmares can't last that long, can they?” Dipper is babbling at this point, not even really talking to the merchant, but trying to convince himself that he can do this without what Bill's suggesting.

The shopkeeper had a slight frown on his face as he shakes his head no. “Sorry kid, it’s not really that simple. See, the drops work, but they're addictive. Take ‘em for long enough and you won't even be able to have good dreams without them. And, trust me, that gets really ugly. You don't want that happening to you.” For the first time since they met the blonde looked deadly serious.

Dipper bit into his lip, expression incredibly conflicted. “But… come on, it can't affect you that quickly, right? I just need a few more days, let my mental state adjust. I’m sure it will be fine.” He started to plead with his eyes, not willing to give up on this yet. 

Bill’s eyebrows raised as he listened to the young man's words. “I don't know kid, you already sound a little bit like a junkie. But, I guess if you give me a taste of whatever dream has you this freaked out I can give you a couple more. Just make sure you’re careful about them, okay?”

Dipper gave the blonde a wide smile as he came up to the counter. “Yeah, that’s just fine. You can definitely take part of this; I’ll be happier to be rid of it anyway. Same deal as last time, right?”

The merchant nodded. “Yes. Take a drag, hold it in and remember the dream, let it out and I’ll collect. Are you ready?” he asked with a cheshire grin on his face as he held the mouthpiece out to the brunette.

The young man took the mouthpiece and hose out of his hand with no hesitation. He closed his eyes as he breathed in the smoke, concentrating for a moment on the anxiety and the pain and the fear of the dream from the night before. He felt a chill go down his spine at the memory, but managed to hold in his breath. He let it out in one long smooth breath, somehow managing not to choke this time. 

He heard a noise coming from the shopkeeper and opened his eyes, seeing the man looking up into the smoke with an expression of admiration on his face. The noise was a pleased sort of hum; the man seemed fascinated by whatever he was seeing. Dipper watched as he grabbed a jar from under the counter and collected the vapors into it. They coalesced into a dark ball that seemed to spike in random directions and vibrated angrily. “You have such interesting nightmares,” the blonde said to him with a lazy smile. “I can’t say I’m not curious what your dreams would be like though.”

Dipper laughed nervously at that, not wanting to consider it too long just yet. “I-if you say so. I can't say I find them interesting, more like abjectly terrifying. But if you appreciate them, you’re welcome to them.” He took in a deep breath, trying to settle himself. “So, how about those dream drops?” 

The blonde shook his head, looking like he was trying to pull himself back into the moment. “Yeah, sure kid. Just a second.” He dropped down behind the counter momentarily and came back up with five of the drops in his palm. He held them in a fist over Dipper’s extended palm and reached out his other hand to tilt the brunette's chin up so he could catch his eyes. “I’m serious about the drops though. Be careful with them okay?” Dipper thought he saw a faint twinge of worry in his eyes for a fraction of a second.

He smiled back. “I will, I promise.” The blonde’s hand opened and the golden candy-like pieces fell into Dipper’s palm. He closed his fist around them and shoved them into his pocket. “I should probably go,” he said, glancing at the door to the shop. “Have a good evening.”

The merchant chuckled quietly at his sudden eagerness to leave. “Alright, have a safe trip Pine Tree. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.” He took a drag off of the hookah as he watched the young man quickly make his way out to the street. A sharp grin spread across his face; it seemed he was pleased with this turn of events.

**Author's Note:**

> So this is Chapter One. I have at least one more chapter ready to go, but I'm not sure how long this thing plans to be. Feel free to drop a comment, critique, question in the comments, I always appreciate feedback.


End file.
